Editor: Akhmetova Aigerim
Author: Bolysbek Dana
A key ingredient in the medicinal plant, tryptolide, is the basis of a water-soluble prodrug called minnelide, which appears to attack cancer cells in the pancreas and the stromal cocoon surrounding the tumor, which protects it from the body's immune system.
The study showed that the mechanism of action of the compound lies in the ability of tryptolide (minnelide) to destroy the so-called super-enhancers, DNA strands necessary to maintain the genetic stability of pancreatic cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts, which help replenish the stroma surrounding the tumor.
“Although tryptolide is known to be a general transcriptional inhibitor and potent anticancer agent, we were the first to report its role in modulating super enhancers that regulate gene expression, especially cancer-causing genes,” said Dr. Khan, who is the head of basic research at the TGen program. for pancreatic cancer.
“Based on our findings, the use of modulating compounds such as tryptolide to reprogram super enhancers could provide the means for effective treatment options for patients with pancreatic cancer,” said Dr. Von Hoff, one of the leading experts in pancreatic cancer.
The thunder god vine (Tripterygium wilfordii), also known as léi gōng téng, is native to China, Japan, and Korea. Traditional Chinese medicine has been using the vine for over 2,000 years to treat everything from fever to inflammation and autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. The chemical compound tryptolide is one of over 100 bioactive ingredients derived from the thunder god vine.
Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-12-compound-derived-thunder-god-vine...
